Here I am again, Pouring My Heart Out with Shell. Have you ever taken the opportunity to pour your heart out with her and her amazing community of friends? You really should.
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Dear Fat,
We’ve been hanging out for a long time now. You might say we’ve been BFF. Inseparable. Wherever I go, there you’ve been. And we’ve made some long-lasting memories.
The shirt buttons strained. The stretched-out belts. The boots that wouldn’t zip.
Remember all the times we could barely fit on amusement park rides? What a knee-slapper.
And let’s not even get started on the bathing suits you’ve spilled out of, no matter what I did to disguise you. You little vixen! There was just no containing you.
Now I can’t see the keyboard because I’m laughing so hard I’m crying. Good times.
But let us not be mistaken – you’re not as generous as you’d have everyone think, you two-faced frenemy. Yeah. I’ve got your number.
Even as you’ve given so much of yourself, you’ve taken bits of me away in return – so stealthily I barely noticed until it was too late. You ran off with my confidence. My self-worth. My femininity. Not to mention my energy and vitality.
So I have to weigh (ha! Get it? ‘weigh’?) the pros and cons of our relationship.
What are the pros, really? I guess there was a time that I felt I needed you to shelter me. To wrap me up so I could hide. Ironic how a person can think that being huge will hide them somehow – but at the heart of things, there is an invisibility that comes with fat. You granted me that. Even though I don’t remember why I felt I needed you in the first place.
And so I thank you for that, and honor your presence because you did serve a purpose.
However…you’re sort of an over-achiever.
Now you’re killing me. Literally. Study after study has proven how you are linked to any number of terrible problems.
Dude. Not cool.
So really, what else is there for me to do but to break up with you?
I mean, of course you shouldn’t totally leave. I do need a little bit of you in order to survive. You can still leave a few things around, like a toothbrush and spare underwear, maybe a favorite book. But the bulk of your excess baggage has to clear out.
And while you’re at it, could you take the bag full of names like “worthless”, “lazy”, “ugly” and “weak” out to the garbage? I don’t need them anymore.
There has to be more room for me and less room for you.
I wish I could say I was sorry to send you packing, but that would be a lie.
Just like the lie I’ve told myself for so long – that I was better off with you than without you.
See ya never,
Me
Whew. That felt good. Have you ever wanted to write a break-up letter like this? What would yours say?
You are doing such an amazing job, and I really think this letter gets to the heart of it. Getting rid of weight has a lot to do with the emotional/mental part of the game and not only the physical part. I know you can do this!
Thank you. It’s really hard, to be honest. Fat seems to be wanting to stick around a lot more than I want it to. I might need to step my game up. Or…maybe this can’t happen on my brain’s schedule, but rather my body’s. Thanks for your continued friendship and support, it means so much.
Beautifully written.
Thank you!
That is an awesome letter. I wanna break up with mine too.
I think we should start a petition against fat that doesn’t know when it’s not wanted. I really do.
Yes. Everything you’ve expressed here, yes. Let’s do this together. (Although, I may not help the situation at Blissdom. #justsayin) *looks around slyly*
How so?
And yes, we should do it together and we WILL.
OMG. I could have written this myself. I’m stress eating myself to death. Everytime I turn around I’m fatter. I can’t even talk about it anymore. Want to be my “say goodbye” buddy? I seriously need help too. Great post. I almost cried too… not from laughing – but because I need to break up too. Kristen
Oh Kristen. I’ll be your “say goodbye” buddy for sure! If you ever want to talk about it, let me know. Email me. Seriously. We’ll get through it.
I wish exercise was as fun as eating. You have an awesome sense of humor and you are gorgeous. Take it slow and good luck!
Oh my gosh, thank you. Seriously.
And yes – eating is WAY more fun that exercise. But, as I keep trying to remind myself, the good feeling from eating ends much more quickly than the good feeling from exercising. Yes. This is what I tell myself. I don’t always believe it.
Get out, fat.
Love this.
Thanks!
Jen, I’m rooting for you! Love the way you approached this very tough subject.
Thanks, always.
Hahaha. I LOVE this! & I feel the same way about my ‘extra baggage’ I really couldnt have said it better myself.
Thanks!
I think we all have a little something we wish we could drop as easily as just writing a letter, don’t we?
That was a great break up letter! The best. I know that you can do it… you ae determined and strong and have all of us here to help you!
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Love how you wrote this! I’m rooting for you! But just remember this, you are a beautiful person, both inside and out.
Thank you, my friend.
Dear Fat,
It’s not me. It’s you.
Call me…never.
Signed,
A woman who’s tried to get you to stop stalking me ONE too many times.
Love your letter!!
Thanks for writing and sharing it. :- )
Ha! “It’s not me, it’s you” I love it!
You tell that fat where to go! Awesome!
Ha! Thanks! Sometimes it just takes firmness, right?
I love writing letters to explore and express my relationship to my feelings, my struggles, and even my fat!
I really enjoyed reading this today, and you’ve inspired me to look honestly and humorously at the things I’m struggling with in life today.
Chrysta
Thank you for your kind words. I hope you’re enjoying your day!
You have written my thoughts exactly. Now to find the motivation to help my bff friend, fat, leave. Bad habits are truly hard to face.
Thanks for writing this insightful post. I’m your newest follower and look forward to reading more.
Thank you so much – what a nice comment.
You’re so right, too, in that it’s tough to face a bad habit. Oftentimes it’s easier to say “Well, I’m trying to be healthy/lose weight/whatever” than to actually commit every single day. It’s a slippery slope once excuses start being made – I should know, I’ve always gained it all back again. I pray that this time is the LAST time! I hope you find the motivation, too.
[...] its time for some chili, huh? And one last thing… On a blog I found last week, The Misadventures of Mrs. B, Jen {nice name, right?} wrote a letter to her fat. Loved it. I wrote one too. [...]